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The invention relates in general to teats for babies and children. More precisely, the invention can be implemented:
in a teat for sucking (or pacifier) of the type given to babies or to young children to calm them; or
in a teat for a baby""s bottle.
Pacifiers have been known for a long time that are made out of a material such as rubber, comprising a central nipple for co-operating with the tongue of a child or a baby. Such pacifiers are generally provided with a shield for bearing against the outside surface of the lips, and with a ring handle.
The main function of pacifiers is to distract or pacify the child (hence the word xe2x80x9cpacifierxe2x80x9d). Improved models of pacifiers also exist enabling an auxiliary function to be performed, such as administering an active ingredient that the child swallows while sucking the nipple of the pacifier.
Although such pacifiers can constitute a relatively effective solution to the immediate problem of a restless child, they can nevertheless have extremely harmful effects on the evolving shape of the child""s mouth: a well-known problem in particular lies in the creation of a gap between the upper and lower incisors, since the central nipple constitutes an obstacle to development of the child""s incisors.
Pacifiers are also known having a special configuration for limiting the damage that can be caused in the mouths of children by excessive use of a pacifier. Examples of such pacifiers are to be found in the following documents: WO 96/20687 (Alanen and Varrella) and FR 2 705 885 (Pick).
The special means of those pacifiers consist in elements for statically distributing the forces due to suction. It is possible that those pacifiers are less harmful to the mouth of a child than are conventional pacifiers having a central nipple for engaging between the middle portions of the lower and upper dental arches; nevertheless, those pacifiers are no more than an imperfect response to the causes of malformations of the mouth.
One of the major causes of malformations of the mouthparts lies in deficient general operation of the mouth. The most advanced work in neuro-occlusal rehabilitation (NOR) has shown the essential role of stimulating the functioning of the mouth in achieving balanced development of the mouthparts (see in particular the work by Prof. Planas xe2x80x9cLa rxc3xa9habilitation neuro-occlusalexe2x80x9d [Neuro-occlusal rehabilitation]).
From empirical observations made over a long period of time, it has thus been possible to validate the hypothesis that it is beneficial for harmonious development of dentition, to cause the stomatognathic system to function as much as possible, and to do so from birth.
Unfortunately, modem feeding habits do not encourage stimulation of the stomatognathic system: the pap and soft food given to babies, and the generally soft nature of modem food, stimulate this system only partially and insufficiently.
By way of example, observable consequences include the facial skull not developing sufficiently so that the bottom jaw remains set back too far from the top jaw, or teeth that are insufficiently eroded due to no absence of lateral movements of the jaws and that therefore tend to lead to the jaws locking together due to the teeth of the top jaw jamming mutually with the teeth of the bottom jaw.
Oral appliances such as aligners are known for the purpose of correcting the above-mentioned malformations; A problem associated with such appliances is that they are generally poorly accepted by young children, even though it is recognized that the earlier intervention is carried on the mouthparts, the more it is effective.
To reduce this awkward constraint, xe2x80x9chybridxe2x80x9d devices are known that are presented in the form of a pacifier that reproduces certain characteristics of orthodontic aligners and that are provided with a ring for the child to hold. Examples of such devices are to be found in documents FR 2 595 046 (Giordanno) and EP 0 400 217 (Bergersen).
Nevertheless, those devices are not well accepted by young children since they act solely as a constraint and do not provide the satisfaction associated with sucking, which recalls feeding at the breast.
In any event those devices are no more than an imperfect solution to the above-mentioned problems of malformation since:
firstly the devices are poorly accepted by young children so they can be used only once the child has reached an age at which development has already advanced; the devices are therefore curative rather than preventive, and they do not make it possible to avoid the appearance of malformations;
secondly, such devices are naturally xe2x80x9cstaticxe2x80x9d, since their function is limited to holding certain organs such as the dental arches in desired positions. Thus, that type of device does not stimulate functioning of the stomatognathic system even though it is mentioned above that such stimulation is an important factor in good development of dentition.
The way such devices have evolved is also described in document U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,074, which discloses a pacifier comprising not only elements for positioning the dental arches, but also an element projecting from the rear of the pacifier in order to co-operate with the tip of the child""s tongue.
However that evolution does not provide an adequate solution for stimulating the functioning of the stomatognathic system, insofar as the pacifier of U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,074 does not give rise to functioning of the stomatognathic system in a manner analogous to that achieved by suckling, since it does not interfere with the back of the tongue or with the palate.
Finally, attempts have been made to stimulate functioning of a child""s tongue: document EP 0 199 005 (Rodam SA) teaches a pacifier in which the teat is fixed to elastic means so as to reproduce to some extent the way in which the mouth of a child is stimulated by the breast and to encourage horizontal movement of the lower dental arch. However, although such a device can be advantageous in terms of stimulating movements of the mouth, it does not provide any proper positioning of the dental arches.
It can thus be seen that there is a need for teats that can be used by babies and young children, that act simultaneously:
to stimulate functioning of the various portions of the stomatognathic system by giving rise to movements analogous to those performed during chewing or suckling; and
to properly position said portions (in particular the two dental arches) relative to one another.
An object of the invention is to satisfy that need.
To achieve this object the invention proposes a teat for a baby or a child, the teat comprising a plate on which the dental arches rest and defining a bite plane, said plate being terminated towards the front by a vestibular screen against which at least one of the dental arches comes into abutment in a desired position, said plate being secured to means projecting forwards out from the mouth, the teat being characterized in that it includes a nipple projecting from the rear of the plate, said nipple being for co-operating with the tongue to stimulate movement analogous to that of suckling.
Preferred but non-limiting aspects of the teat of the invention are as follows:
the projecting nipple is connected to the rear of the plate by elastic means;
the vestibular screen comprises:
a top portion situated above the bite plane; and
a bottom portion situated below the bite plane and offset rearwards relative to the top portion;
the offset between the top and bottom portions of the vestibular screen is about 1 millimeters (mm) to 3 mm;
a substantially vertical wall is integrally formed with the rear edge of the plate and co-operates with the vestibular screen to define an aligner for receiving the dental arches;
said plate is generally U-shaped, with limbs extending rearwards to the rear ends of the dental arches;
the plate, the vestibular screen, and the nipple are integrally molded;
the nipple faces the rear portion of the tongue when the teat is in position in the mouth of the baby or the child;
the surface of the plate includes abrasive means;
the means projecting forwards out from the mouth comprise a shield for pressing against the front faces of the lips or a handle ring; and
the means projecting forwards out from the mouth comprise an element for closing a baby""s bottle, and the teat has a channel passing longitudinally therethrough to enable a baby or a child to suck a liquid contained in the bottle.